Woodlawn Santa Decking the Halls

I love this time of year for many reasons, one of which is my annual phone chat with Woodlawn Santa (aka Sharon Ehrig), who usually leads the conversation with a rousing “Ho ho ho!” This year, she had something else to add: “Christmas is going up!”

This is great news. Even better, Santa has a clean bill of heath this year.

You may recall that last year Santa battled breast cancer and was unable to put up her usual Christmas lights and wave at us from her front porch. But Santa is back, albeit a bit slower than in years past. She hopes to have all the lights on her house (about 15,000!) by Thanksgiving, and to be sitting on the porch waving in time to the music, starting around December 9th or 10th.

2011 will mark Sharon’s 16th year as Santa. Woodlawn Santa enjoyed 15 years of consecutive porch duty until she had to skip last year.

This year’s decorations will be reconfigured due to some landscape changes in the yard, so be sure to take a good long look. As I wrote in 2009, “With 15,000 lights, reindeer (with personalized saddles), snowmen, candy canes, a rubber ducky gate, teddy bears and elves — you just gotta see this house.” It’s still true; you just gotta see this house. Bring the kids, young and old, to say hi to Santa this year.

And we are really really glad you’re better, Santa! Thanks for all your hard work spreading Christmas cheer in Wallingford! Ho ho ho!